Transmission of power



Jan 6, 1931.

TRANSMISSION OF POWER A. PIEPKORN Filed July 22, 1929 Q 4 4a 4a a: I g r 3 5 I Z 2/ a l A a We 32 I o k u 3 I ,2 l 4, Ag 42, Q 4,3 16 2/ 20 A? 2/ 2 /.9 2/ {0 /s/ 6 7 m 66 a 6 7/ a I A/ I? '42 A) If,

JNVENTOR.

A T TORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 6, 1931 PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR PIEPKORN, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK a TRANSMISSION or some i 7 Application filed July 22, 1929. Serial No. 379,909.

This invention relates to power transmission and has for its object to provide a method 'of'transmitting power from a shaft of given.

F, speed to a shaft'whose speed may vary ina gradual continuous manner either to gradual and contlnuous acceleration or retardation between desired limits.

'VVith ordinary gears the transmission of speed is limited to fixed ratios and therefore a continuous gradual change from-one speed to another is impossible. r

Another object of this invention is to provide means for carrying out my new method in an efficient manner and which means will be practical and comparatively simple.

To make myinvention more clear the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification and in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts. V l

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a unit of my new transmission mechanism, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one embodiment of my complete transmission mechanism.

Referring first to Fig. lthe differential gear constructed according to my invention comprises a bevel gear 1 keyed to a shaft a, gear 2keyedto ashaft b of variable speed, gear 3 keyed to a shaft al revolubly borne in a frame 4 andmeshing with gear 2. The frame 4' is mounted so as to be capableof revolving aroundshaft a and is formed with the gear 5 meshing with gear 1.

Assuming that one of the three shafts a, b, and 0, say a, is the input shaft of a given speed and one of the other shafts is a shaft driven "from a variable speed motor. It is clear that any two of these three shafts'can run at any desired speed and in any direction while the speed and direction of'rotation of'the third of the named shafts is determined.

' Mathematical calculations show that when any one of the three shafts is driven to supply or't'ake power, the supply or taking of power ofthe other twoshafts is determined.

Now, the differential .gearshown in Fig. 1

impelled from, the variable speed shaft 0 can be'used. fort thetransmission of power from one'shaft toianother, if the third shaft will be. operated by a.variableispee'dgmotor or. t controlled by a brakeseasto': vary 11 5 speed.

I have found, however, that the use 'ofa single differential gear as shown'in Fig. 1 Would be practical only in cases where but a small range of variations is desired; 7

A larger range of variations would necessitate. a more powerfulvariable speed motor. This' would be of little advantage, since a powerful variable speed motor could accomplish the same results, as sought by me, with out any additional device.

I findhowever, that by combining two or more differential gears of the type "shown in Fig. 1, the number of units depending upon the range of variation-of speed desired, I can effectively obtain the desired transmission-0f power, so as to considerably reduce the power that the variable speed motor would under ordinary circumstances have to supply or that for instance a brake-used for controlling the speed would consume.

e In the embodiment showninFig. 2 the differential gears or units of the construction substantially as per Fig. 1' are combined to form my new transmission mechanism. Let shaft a denote the input shaft of any desired given speed'and b the output shaft of variable speed. Keyed or otherwise fixed on the input shaft a and spaced relative to one another in longitudinal direction are three beVel'g'eaIS 1. and 1 and 1 Meshing with these gears are bevel gears 3, 3 and 3 each revolubly borne on'a shaft d, which shafts d are 'revolubly borne in drums 4, 4 and 45", the latter being revolubly mounted on the input shaft a asshown. The gears 3 and 3 and 3 are integrally formed with or have fixed to them gears 3*, 3 and '3 adapted to respectively mesh with gears 2, .2 and 3 According to the present embodiment two of the gears 2, 2 are revolubly mounted on the input shaft 11 and the third gear 2 is keyed or otherwise fixed to the output shaft 7). The gears 2, 2 are integral with or otherwise operatively connected to the drums 4 4 respectively.

The drums 4", 4C and 4 are adapted to be through a'moto-r (not shown), in such a way that the. drumsa, 4 and 48- may run with variable speed that the speedof any fthem.

12. revolubly mounted on shaft c.

may decrease to zero or even run in opposite direction.

To accomplish this I provide the following auxiliary mechanism The shaft 0 of the variable speed motor carries three sets or groups A, B and C of similar differential gears; Each of these sets is composed of a spur geartrevolubly mounted on the shaft o and formed integrally with or having fixed thereto a bevel gear 7 concentric witht-he shaft 0 This gear 7 meshes with a bevel gear 8 revolubly mounted on a shaft 9 projecting from a sleeve 10 keyed to the shaftc The gear 8 is formed integrally with or has. fixed to it another gear 8 which meshes with abe'vel gear 11 integral with or fixedto a spurogear n a shaft 18 intermediate between shafts a and G and parallel thereto are rotatably mounted three sets of small spur gears 18, 18*, the gears 18 meshing w1th gears 4*" formed on' the circumferences of said drums t, 4 and 4 and the gears 18 meshing with the spur gears 6 of the sets A, B, and C. Each set of gears 18, 18 are in coupling connection with one anothemas for instance by saw toothed members 19. Additionally there are 7 mounted on the shaft-13 three sets of gears 20 keyed to or otherwise fixedonfsh'aft13 and which mesh 'wi'th the spur gears 12 on the shaft c 3 1 The shaft 13 may be driven fromshaft a through a set ofgears lo, and 16 or through any other suitable means. Now the operation is as follows V The shaft aruns with a certain given speed. The variable speed shaftc is driven with a speed sufficient to drive the output shaft. 1) with the desired speed. Part of power to be transmitted to shaft 1) is distributed through gears 1, 3 into gear 2. comparatively small amount of power comes from the variable speed shaft 0 and is transmittedthrough the coupling 19 to drum 4 and gear 3' into gear 2'. This latter gear being a part of drum 4 transmits power over gear 3 to gear 2 'Another amount of. power comingfrom the input shaft is transmitted to gear 1 over gear 3 to gear 2 This latter gear being part of the drum' 4-? transmits power over gear 3 to gear 2 Ajstill other amount of power coming from the input shaft a is transmitted over gear 1 and 8 into gear 2 and this gear 2 being keyed to the 1 output shaft 12 transmits motion to the output shaft 6. 7

New assuming that the speed of the-drum 4; reaches a certain minimum, the gear 18 through which the drum 4 has been impelled cannot catch up with thegear 18,- and at this point the intermediate drum has sloweddown enough relative to its corresponding gear 18 that the remaining units will'be driven "through said gear; Thegear 18 and conse quently the drum 4: owing to the coupling 19 will be allowed to slip or turn idle. As a result the output shaft 6 will now be driven from the variable speed shaft 0 through either of the two groups of stages B and C instead of the group A. Should the speed of the drum/l be sufficiently retarded then the drum 4 too will be automatically cut out or rendered idle in the aforedescribed manner and the gear 2 through its sleeve 4 will re tardthe drum P sufficiently so that the gear 18 of the group or stage C will catchup'with its gear 18 and the output shaft 6 will, be driven from shaft d only through the third stage C.

Thus while the output shaft 6 and the auxiliary shaft 0"? are gradually decreasing infspeedrfrom a certain maximum to a certain minimum the drums 4 and 4: will be a cut out automatically and successively through stages or groups A, B, C of the auxiliary mechanism- The gears of these groups must be. so proportioned that one drum cuts out while the next drum starts .to be driven by the auxihary mechanism.

It will be obvious that the more stages or groups are used the greater the range of variation of the speed between a maximum and-minimum of the output shaftand the less power will be consumed by the variable speed motor..

I 2.1-denotes springs which have the tendency to hold the toothed members 19 in coupling 1. A device for transmitting power ataccelerable or retardable speeds from'a driven shaft of given speed to'an output shaft of variable speeds, comprising a-plurality of sets of differential motion producing means between said two shafts,,and -an auxiliary mechanism including a variable speed impelled shaft and a corresponding number of sets of differential elements operated from said last named shaft and operatively connected to the1r respective differentlal motion producing means, ,andfmeans whereby 'when thespeedbetween any one set of dlfferential motion producing 'meansand the .corresponding element of; said I auxiliary n echanism is at variance said differential motion producing means will beautomatically cut out and power transmitted to the output shaft throughrthe remaining, sets of differential motion producingmeans.

2. Aidevice as per'claiml in which each set of differential motion producing means includes an element 3 revolving around one of the first named shafts and is positively set of differential motion producing means includes an element revolving around one of the mainshafts and is impelled from the shaft of said auxiliary" mechanism through an automatically controlled coupling which I is adapted to uncouple that one of said elements whose speed varies'from that of the shaft of said auxiliary mechanism.

5. A device for transmitting power from an input shaft of given speed to an output shaft of variable speed, comprising sets of I differential motion producing means, each including an element revolving around one of said shafts, elements of the different sets being adapted to be positively impelled from those of the preceding sets, and sets of variable speed impelled means operatively connected to said first named elements, and means whereby when the speed of either one of the former elements varies from that of the latter the former will be automatically cut out and the output shaft be controlled only from the remaining sets.

6. A device 7 for transmitting power at accelerable and retardable speeds comprising primary differential motion producing means 7 and secondary differential motion producing means, a plurality of intermediate elements adapted to run at different speedsand connected to one of said two means, means for automatically uncoupling said primary and secondary differential motion producing means through one of said elements and variable speed means for controlling the speed ofsaid device. 7

7. A device for transmitting power at accelerable and retardable speeds from an input shaft of given speed to an output shaft of variable speed comprising sets of dilferential motion producing means mounted be tween said two shafts, and variable speed means adapted to control said sets of differ ential motion producing means comprising a variable speed shaft, a second set of differential means connected with the latter shaft and coupled to said first named means, and means to automatically uncouple coupled pairsof said two differential sets when the speeds thereof are at variance.

8. A device for transmitting power at accelerable and retardable speeds from an input shaft of given speed to an output shaft of variable speed comprising differential motion producing means mounted between said two shafts, and variable speed means adapted to control said differential motion producing meanscomprising a variable speedshaft, a second differential means connected with the latter shaft and means to automatically uncouple said two differential means when the speeds thereof are at. variance.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

- ARTHUR PIEPKORN. 

